When it comes to identifying talent and nurturing them, Mumbai Indians stand at the top of the pile. The prime examples of the same include the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Krunal Pandya.
With so much pedigree, players would be over the moon if they get picked by MI at the auctions. The scouting team at MI is top notch, and if they have selected you, it means you gotta be good. Nonetheless, the auction dynamics do not always allow the franchise to buy players of their interest. At times, spontaneous decisions are taken, and you might end up with some players who were earlier not part of the plan.
In this article, we take a look at five players whose contract was terminated by MI without even getting a chance in the competition.
1. Nicholas Pooran
Now, it is surprising that Nicholas Pooran went through the MI camp without extracting much attention. Traditionally, MI is popular for gifting and spotting unreal overseas and domestic talents. Nicholas Pooran happens to be one of the exceptions in this list. The West Indian southpaw was part of the blue-and-gold setup but did not get a chance to prove his skills. Further, Pooran even had to lose his contract at the end of the campaign. Nevertheless, with Kieron Pollard entering the wrong side of his thirties, Pooran might as well be in MI’s plans for the future.
2. Kuldeep Yadav
Left-arm wrist-spinners are a rarity in the game. In fact, it was Kuldeep Yadav who somewhat brought back the tradition in India. The UP-spinner was also good at it, and hence, in the beginning, he was rated highly. However, despite the novelty, Kuldeep too had to face some struggles at the start. Although he was in a team like Mumbai Indians, the player did not get a chance. MI does not usually pass up on such a player, but it was different in Kuldeep’s case. The player lost his contract despite not getting a chance to impress the management.
3. Axar Patel
The scouting team of Mumbai Indians has a keen eye for cricketers springing out of neighboring state Gujarat. The likes of Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah all belong to this state. As part of this influx of players from Gujarat, Axar Patel was also a presence. However, unlike most of the others, Axar’s time at MI was not memorable. Axar is a conventional player, and although he is good at it, at the franchise, he was not given a chance. With plenty of competition also to face, MI eventually had to release him without offering an opportunity.
4. Krishnappa Gowtham
A couple of cricketers from Karnataka also had a good time at MI. In fact, a few of them were introduced to IPL at MI. The likes of Shreyas Gopal and J Suchith fall in this category. Krishnappa Gowtham was also part of this group. However, Gowtham did not get any opportunities with MI. Like Axar, KG is also an orthodox commodity, and unless extremely special, it is a difficult task to break into the playing XI. KG was unfortunate in that aspect, and later had to leave the franchise.
5. Asela Gunratne
Back in the day, Sri Lankan cricketers were present in almost every IPL franchise. However, the fall in the standards of the Lankan cricketers has led to a decrease in their representation in IPL. Asela Gunaratne came in 2017 to Mumbai with a lot of hopes. An aggressive batsman, Gunaratne was expected to feature in a few games. However, MI could not offer him a place in the playing XI. Eventually, they had to release him without giving a cap.
